What does insincere mean?
Word: Insincere
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Insincere means not honest about what you really feel; saying things you do not mean.
Synonyms: false, fake
Antonyms: sincere, honest, genuine
How do you spell insincere?
Syllables: in - sin - cere
Tricky part: The second 's' sound is spelt with a c, not an s, and the word ends in -cere with an e at the close, not -sear or -cer.
Watch out for: insinsere, insincear, insinceer
Memory tip: Write sincere first, the way it appears at the end of a formal letter (Yours sincerely), then put in- in front to flip the meaning.
Insincere in a sentence
Example 1: Rohan's apology sounded insincere because he was grinning the whole time.
Example 2: The salesman's insincere praise of my old phone did not fool Papa.
Example 3: An insincere well done can hurt more than no comment at all.
Fun Fact
A popular story says sincere comes from Latin words meaning without wax, about statues with no hidden cracks. Word experts say that tale is false; the real source is Latin sincerus, pure or clean.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with insincere?
a) severe
b) were
c) appear
d) volunteer
Show answer
b) were. Were looks as if it belongs with the -ere words, but it is said like fur.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
Praise that you give without really meaning it is ___.
a) insincere
b) insolent
c) inactive
d) insistent
Show answer
a) insincere. Insistent means not giving up and insolent means rude; only insincere describes words that are not meant.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
ecnisiner 123456789
a) 987654321
b) 435672918
c) 435672198
d) 453672189
Show answer
c) 435672198. Start with i, n, s (positions 4, 3, 5), then i, n, c, e, r, e from the rest.
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) insincere
b) compliment
c) apollogise
d) polite
Show answer
c) apollogise. Apologise has one l and one p; the second l is the extra letter.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which line would sound insincere?
a) 'Well done' said with a hug
b) 'Great job' said with a yawn
c) 'Sorry' said while helping
d) 'Thank you' said with a smile
Show answer
b) 'Great job' said with a yawn
2. Someone who gives you an insincere smile ____.
a) is only pretending to be pleased
b) is laughing at a funny joke
c) is happy to see an old friend
d) is proud of a good mark
Show answer
a) is only pretending to be pleased
